


5 people Natasha tried to win over that were (over)protective of Clint and the 1 she had to convince to not be (over)protective of her

by shaneequa



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Oblivious! Clint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-08
Updated: 2014-11-08
Packaged: 2018-02-24 15:49:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2587073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shaneequa/pseuds/shaneequa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>See title.<br/>Based on the prompt at be_compromised for Scribble_myname.</p>
            </blockquote>





	5 people Natasha tried to win over that were (over)protective of Clint and the 1 she had to convince to not be (over)protective of her

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scribblemyname](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scribblemyname/gifts).



> Title: Over Hurdles  
> Author: Shaneequa  
> Disclaimer: Don’t own Marvels, or anything other than this laptop. (Broke college student life)  
> Summary: One of the prompts from the 2014 Prompathon at be_compromised. I was having writer’s block lately and saw this prompt. From Scribble_myname “5 people Natasha tried to win over that were (over)protective of Clint and the 1 she had to convince to not be (over)protective of her.” 
> 
> I apologize in advanced for all the mistakes. 
> 
> Happy reading!

 

Title: Over Hurdles

Author: Shaneequa

Disclaimer: Don’t own Marvels, or anything other than this laptop. (Broke college student life)

Summary: One of the prompts from the 2014 Prompathon at be_compromised. I was having writer’s block lately and saw this prompt.  From Scribble_myname“5 people Natasha tried to win over that were (over)protective of Clint and the 1 she had to convince to not be (over)protective of her”

           

It was an uphill battle; realizing her feelings for her partner for three years, and accepting that she did in fact, _love him_. And although she _is_ the Black Widow, master of all seduction, it wasn’t seduction that she wanted as an end game for Clint. Yes, it was, but at the same time, she wanted more.

And for that, Natasha Romanoff actually had to put together a plan. She wasn’t going into an operation without a plan… (or multiple plans for that matter) in order to complete the mission. So she sat down at a local coffee shop, a cup of locally brewed white mocha with two espresso shots, a laptop in front of her.

Mission Objective: Hawkeye.

Mission Parameters: Get Hawkeye aka Clint Barton to fall in love with Black Widow aka Natasha Romanoff (other aliases not mentioned).

 

For hours, she proceeded to type away on her computer ironing away any crease that might come her way to get her to her ultimate goal. The list was short, actually, short enough that she could count it in her one hand.

_Melinda May_

Natasha walked the hallway of the SHIELD, a purposeful stride that had all the other agents getting out of her way.

“You look like you’re in a hurry somewhere,” Clint called out to her from the other side of the hallway, walking towards her. She shot him a glare.

 

“Yes,” she stated. “I have a meeting.”

Clint looked at feigning hurt, a hand over his heart. “Without me?”

“Contrary to everyone’s wishes, I am allowed to be on my own around here,” she retorted pausing to where he was standing, leaning casually at a doorway. _Looking hot as hell, that bastard._

“Hey, no need to attack, I was just asking,” Clint said with a smile, bumping her shoulder.

She deflated at his touch, looking down at her wrist for the time before leaning into him, but only slightly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be a bitch.”

Clint nodded his head. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just have an important meeting,” she sighed. “It’s one I can’t miss.”

“You have a mission?”

“I do, just recon,” she shrugged.

“Cool, see you at the training room in an … hour?”

She nodded and walked away, a few doors down from where Clint was and knocked on the door politely.

“Agent Romanoff,” Melinda said looking up over her paperwork at the redhead who stood by the door, hovering.

When Melinda received an email from the younger agent about wanting to meet up to talk about something important, Melinda couldn’t help but say yes, only for the sake of he curiosity. Natasha Romanoff was no open book, in fact she was as closed and reserved as one could get, so when she asked for a private audience with Melinda… well who was she to say no?

“Can I come in?” Natasha asked hovering by the door.

Melinda nodded her head. “Yes, shut the door behind you, and take a seat.”

Natasha tentatively walked to the chair. Melinda was somewhat of a mentor to her after Clint brought her in. She had a lot of respect for the woman and knew it was important that she get Melinda’s blessing to date Clint.

“What did you want to talk about?” Melinda asked her, setting the paperwork down and putting her full attention to Natasha.

“Well,” Natasha hesitated, not knowing when to start. This woman was as much of a mother to Clint as Phil was a father. Melinda May mentored Clint and cared for him greatly since Coulson brought him to SHIELD; what the hell was she supposed to say to someone who, for intents and purposes was Clint’s mother?

She looked in the woman’s eye before opening her mouth to say something when ---

Melinda’s eyes furrowed in confusion for a moment at Natasha’s apparent nervousness - a trait she hasn’t seen from the other agent since the first time she was brought into SHIELD. Then she looked over at the other agent, a realization dawning on her.

The black-haired agent leaned back in her chair and smiled. “So, you finally figured out all that tension with Clint?”

Breaking the ice, Natasha rewarded the older woman a small smile.

_Maria Hill_

Natasha knew that in order to properly be able to profess her feelings to Clint and for them to act on it, she would have to go up the proper chain of command and gain permission to do so. And the only person she knew -- _publicly_ \-- that had clearance for that started with Maria Hill, Deputy Director of SHIELD.  (yes, it may be ‘jumping the chain’ because _technically_ she should ask Coulson first, but he was the last person she wanted to ask… because he would probably require a fifty-year point plan for her and Clint and in between missions with said man, she just haven’t had the time to put one together.)

So, thirty minutes before she was expected in the office of Deputy Director Hill,  Natasha walked through the doors of SHIELD and placed all her weapons (the ones she knew that they knew about) into the metal detector and walked through, nodding a gesture of greeting to the security guard.

“Agent Romanoff, wasn’t expecting you to be in the office so soon after your mission,” Sitwell stated popping up right beside her with those eighties glasses that she wanted nothing put to punch into his face -- on good days.

“Sitwell,” Natasha stated in greeting, ignoring his statement and bypassing the elevator which he held open.

“Not taking the elevator today, agent?”

“I think I’ll take the stairs.”

Thirty flights of stairs later,  Natasha finally stepped aside and walked into the main building eying the elevator as it opened.

“Agent Romanoff!” Maria Hill called her, with her headset and dressed in black SHIELD issued mission suit called out to her. “I was just about to get onto the elevator to get to our meeting.”

Natasha nodded her head. She knew. She had eyes and ears everywhere.

They both walked into the elevator, Natasha taking the back left corner as Maria stood in the middle of the elevator, poised as the leader she was.

Maria pressed the number which led to the floor with her and Fury’s office, looking at Natasha’s reflection.

“Before we walk in there,” Maria stated, her eyes not leaving the reflection of the other woman. “You need to know that I am all for your relationship with Clint, but there are about eighty pages of paperwork you _both_ would need to complete in order to get it sanctioned, officially.”

“I’m willing to do all the paperwork I need to,” Natasha replied determined.

The other woman smiled at her. “Then we better get started then.”

_Nick Fury_

Nothing escapes Nick Fury. Well, maybe the ingredients of the “vegetarian” option of Monday Meatloaf but… everything else he’s able to figure out with his ruthlessness too.

Therefore, when he noted he small change in how Natasha Romanoff (someone he thought very highly of) was staring at Clinton Barton, he knew he would have to approach her.

He heard a slight knock on the door.

“Come in,” he called out, spinning his chair around from facing Times Square to the deadly Black Widow standing at the door.

“You wanted to see me sir?” she asked hesitantly. He smiled internally, knowing that the moment could be comparable to getting sent to the principal’s office in elementary school.

“I did,” Fury replied. “Please sit.”

Natasha did as she was told, sitting up straight on one of the comfy office chairs in front of Fury’s.

“Now, would you like to tell me your intentions towards Hawkeye?”

_Phil Coulson_

There were only a few people in her lifetime who manage to scare her with one stare, one of them happened to be a friend and a handler to her (and Clint): Phil Coulson.

While Melinda played the role of mother to Clint, Phil Coulson was his father. And yes, Melinda did give Natasha her blessing to pursue more with Clint, and Natasha expected the same result from Phil, she knew that blessing was going to come with hoops to jump through.

Therefore, Natasha invited Phil to her home. She knew that the approach she used with Melinda, Maria, and Fury were not going to work on Phil. She would have to get personal.

 

Channeling Nancy, the domestic persona in her mind, she left work early (getting a couple of weird stares from Clint) to go grocery shopping then cook whatever is that she remembered to cook. Which for the next three hours consumed her time, making an entree, salad and dessert for Phil. She knew that each and every hour was worth it, she needed Phil’s approval and _opinion_ before going up to Clint to tell him about how she felt.

 

Because if there was one person who knew Clint and how he would react to a situation, then it would be Phil.

 

As she set up the table, she heard a quiet knock on her door that could only belong to one person: Clint Barton. She sighed and walked over to her doorway and opened the door to a Clint Barton who was postured to knock once again.

 

“What are you doing here?” Natasha greeted him with annoyance, akimbo style as he leaned on her doorway.

 

Clint opened his mouth, his eyes glancing behind her to the perfectly set up dinning room for two.

 

“Oh,” Clint said with a surprised sigh before taking a step back into the hallway. “I stopped by to make sure you’re okay, you were acting weird today but…”

“I’m fine.”

 

He smiled at her and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I see that, uh. I… I guess I’ll just see you at work.”

 

Natasha nodded her head as Clint turned around, shaking his head as she shut the door. She watched the door with a frown before turning her attention back to the dining room to try and figure out what it is that Clint say that unsettled him so much.

 

She shrugged not seeing anything out of place in her apartment and continued onto the kitchen to finish setting up the table since Coulson was expected to be there in thirty minutes, which mean that he would be there in about ten.

 

And within ten minutes, just as she expected, Phil Coulson knocked on her door. She put the finishing touches on the table and made sure that the whole apartment was tidy before walking to the door and opening it with a smile on her face, once again channeling her Nancy persona.

 

“Hey Phil, come on in,” she said ushering him into her small, but neatly decorated, apartment.

Phil smiled at her, shedding his top coat and handing it to her awaiting hand. “This is a nice place, Natasha. Thank you for inviting me.”

 

Natasha smiled at him and nodded, hanging his coat up on the rack. “Please feel free to sit at the table, I’ve made dinner.”

 

Phil walked to the dining room and took a seat eyeing the detail in the apartment. It seemed almost standard for a SHIELD agent’s off base apartment to contain all their personal belongings, and Phil was not surprised to see that Natasha’s home was the same. There were artifacts throughout the house from what he could tell was all over the world.

He sat down hesitantly, because Natasha Romanoff was not one to make dinner and have guests over willingly. He watched as Natasha slowly slid to the seat in front of him with an expectant look on her face, an expression that is not fully hers.

 

“Dig in,” Natasha said with a smile gesturing to the food at the table. Phil eyed it warily.

“Jigs up, Romanoff. What’s actually going on?” Phil asked.

“I….” Natasha stuttered before looking down at her hands on her lap.

Phil grinned at her, checking his watch. “Sitwell owes me twenty-five bucks. Now tell me, what are your intentions with our Hawkeye?”

_Bobbi Morse_

Natasha knew that the perfect opportunity to talk to Clint’s ex-wife was when she was called by the LA office to get herself cleared by LA Base (because they were the snobby base) for operations in the PAC which she could’ve sworn that she had done just two years ago. In other cases, she could use the time off, Fury gave her two weeks, booked her in a four star hotel, to get clearance for PAC missions. It was basically an all expenses paid vacation, and the only thing she was missing was a certain archer who could make the whole thing better.

Nevertheless, the free trip to LA gave her the opportunity to speak to Bobbi. Because who else would know Clinton Barton than the woman he was married to for four years (Natasha didn’t like to pit herself with people who knew him well, she and Clint knew each other inside out when it counted but she doubted her ability to read him in terms other than during missions… or in bed). Bobbi Morse knew Clint, she knew how Clint was when he was in a relationship (which Natasha knew too, to an extent), but also when Clint was when he’s in love. A knowledge Natasha knew nothing about.

“Agent Romanoff,” Bobbi greeted her as she walked into the ChemWep Research Facility. Natasha nodded her head in greeting to the other scientists in the room who scattered at the sight of the infamous Black Widow. “How may I help you?”

While the rest of the scientists scattered, Bobbi stood rooted in her spot, carrying the same confident aura which she had wherever she went. Natasha figured it was one of the many things that Clint fell in love with, of course Bobbi Morse being as successful a scientist and field agent, as well as being blonde haired and blue eyed didn’t hurt.

Natasha stepped up to the lab bench that Bobbi was currently working on with a smile. “Would you care to get lunch? Is it about time for you to take a lunch break?”

Bobbi glanced at the clock, it was 1030 local time, but with Natasha’s insistent voice, it wasn’t like she could do anything. “Lead the way, Agent.”

The redhead nodded and walked out the lab the same way she walked in, taking the most efficient and direct route from the bench to the door. The blonde scientist (sometimes field agent) followed suit, walking down the hallway and out to the parking lot, to a sleek black Corvette that she knew was more of Clint’s influence on the Russian agent.

“Nice car,” Bobbi commented, as she heard the doors click unlocked. Any other living being would have been afraid of the stoic Black Widow leading them to her car. But, Bobbi Morse was not just any other living being. She and Clint stayed friends through their divorce, and for six continuing years since he ‘made a different call’ and saved the Black Widow, there was not a conversation where she wasn’t mentioned at least once. Bobbi usually just sat back with a content grin knowing that her ex found the happiness that she couldn’t give him, he just needed time to figure it out for himself.

Natasha slipped into the car and revved it, driving out of the parking lot with tires screeching.

Bobbi looked out at the passing view, Natasha’s reflection of strict concentration on her window as well. “So where are we going for lunch, Agent Romanoff?”

“You can call me Natasha,” she responded not looking at her but at the constant LA traffic. “And to answer your question, Roscoe’s. Clint swears they have the best chicken and waffles.”

Bobbi nodded with a grin. “They do.”

That was the last thing that was said for a few minutes until Natasha pulled into a the busy parking lot of Roscoe’s. Natasha and Bobbi walked up and to the woman taking reservations, Bobbi knowing well enough how long the wait would be (and hour, or more), but to her surprise, the woman ushered them both into the restaurant, the other customers moaning.

“Miss Rushman, here is your table,” the receptionists stated. Bobbi raised an eyebrow at the redhead but went along with her, sitting on the chair across from the redhead and picking up the menu.

“So I’m guessing this isn’t a professional call?” Bobbie said with a smile, peering over the other woman, who gave nothing away.

Natasha looked over at her with a smirk. “Great powers of deduction, Agent Morse.”

“It’s what they pay me for,” she smiled at the other woman. “I’m guessing this is about Clint?”

“What else could it be?”

Bobbi leaned back in her chair and smiled. “Are you going to state your intentions towards him, to… me, first?”

“How do you know I haven’t already?”

“Has he told you?”

Natasha’s expression changed for a moment then back to her neutral state. “Tell me what?”

“He _really_ hasn’t told you?”

Natasha placed the menu calmly on the table before looking at Bobbi in the eye. “What the hell hasn’t he told me that he’s supposed to?”

Bobbi grinned at her, her posture not at all changing for the confident pose which she’s had since Natasha walked into her lab. “Come on now, Natasha. I gave you more credit than that.”

Natasha glared at her. “Get on with it, Morse.”

“Clint’s in love with you.”

The waitress stepped up to their table, perky and smiling. “Are you ready to order?”

+1

Clint Barton

After months of preparation, Natasha was finally at the end, looking for the perfect opportunity to talk to Clint about her feelings, about not having to worry about SHIELD and the inevitable paperwork which they would have to fill out because they’re ready to just be signed by Clint and would be effective that day. But it seemed as though she could never find the time. For one reason or another, Clint was continuously out on missions, never staying on base for more than the allotted 96 hour crew rest time then shipping out again. So, Natasha hacked the systems and figured that his quinjet from his last mission arrived a mere twenty four hours earlier, enough time for Clint to sleep off the mission and be antsy enough to be up and around.

Natasha walked to Clint’s on-base dorm where she knew he would be staying. He was signed up for another mission in seventy two hours and knowing Clint, he wouldn’t bother going back to his off-base apartment. On the way to his dorm, Natasha ran into the one person she was looking for.

“Hey stranger,” she greeted him with a small smile. He gave her a small, tight lipped smile in return.

“Hey Natasha, how are you doing?”

Natasha racked her brain for a time when Clint called her Natasha in a greeting, it must have been at least five years. She frowned.

“Is something wrong?” she asked him.

He looked around at the hallway where other agents seemed to have paused to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“Can we … Uh, talk in my room?”

Natasha nodded her head and followed Clint quietly. The courage which she had after her talk with Bobbi and how _sure_ the other woman was that Clint loved her faded with every step she took to Clint’s dorm. After a couple more steps, they reached Clint’s door which he ushered her through. Her confidence was shot.

Maybe the Red Room training _didn’t_ give her everything she needed in life.

“Is everything alright?” Natasha asked him once they were both inside the room keeping her cards tight against her chest. Whether she would tell him about her feelings.

“Uh,” Clint said rubbing the back of his head. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Are you avoiding me?”

“No... Well I… yes.”

Natasha looked over at her confused. “Why?”

“I… It just seems like, you know… you’re moving on, and I’m stuck here,” Clint said with a sigh.

“What?” Natasha asked him confused.

Clint sighed sitting down on his bed. She followed sit and Clint just stared ahead, knowing that play, he knew she was feigning ignorance about it. But no matter how much it hurt him, he at least wanted to know the name of the man who took her heart, and maybe run a quick background check on him to make sure that he’s worth her --- worth the best thing that has ever happened in his world.

“What’s his name?”

“What’s whose name?”

“Let’s not play this game, Natasha.”

She shook her head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“The whole thing with talking to May, and Coulson, and Hill?” Clint listed the people. “Must be an… agent?”

“What?”

“Fuck, is it Rumlow?” Clint continued. “Fuck, damn it! I… He’s an _asshole_ , Nat. He treats women like conquests, why would you… Fuck. I will kill him if he hurts you—not that you need me to, you’d probably kill him before I do… But then again you didn’t kill that blind mother—“

“Clint!” Natasha exclaimed cutting off Clint’s rambles after finally figuring out what was going on. He stopped mid-sentence with his mouth opened to say something else, the face he made was so adorable  to her that she started giggling.

“It’s not funny,” Clint sighed. “I just – you deserve the best, Tasha. I just want to make sure that whoever you choose to be yours, that they will treat you like you’re the best damn thing that’s ever happened in their life, because I don’t care who the fuck they are, you are the best thing, and you deserve to be treated like that.”

She shook her head at him. “And you think I ‘choose’ Rumlow?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, you tell me. No promises on the no background check and the ‘I will hunt you down’ threat, I’m your best friend, it’s my duty.”

Natasha nodded her head. “Do you really want to know who?”

“Yes.” _No_.

The redhead smiled, taking Clint’s hands into her lap as if to tell him something, but thought better of it, leaning over to kiss him instead. After a few moments, she pulled back, a smile on both their faces.

“For the record, thank you for being concerned enough to threaten my ‘man,’ but I can take him.”

“Anytime,” Clint replied with a smile pulling in for another kiss.

_Mission Status: Completed; successful._

 

 


End file.
